Unlike basil, baby spinach is available year-round, it’s cheaper and requires no prep other than ripping open a bag. For a different take when making Green Spaghetti, swap the spinach for kale or silverbeet, and the pine nuts for almonds or walnuts!
Green Spaghetti Recipe
Serves 4
Prep: 7 minutes. Cook: 10 minutes
Ingredients:
500 g spaghetti, or other pasta of choice
2 tsp cooking salt
Extra parmesan, shaved or shredded, to serve
Baby spinach, to serve
Pine nuts, toasted, to serve
Spinach Pesto
4 tightly packed cups (200 g) baby spinach leaves
1 tsp finely minced garlic
1⁄2 cup (75 g) pine nuts, toasted
1⁄2 tightly packed cup (50 g) finely shredded parmesan
11⁄4 tsp cooking salt
1⁄4 tsp black pepper
1 tsp lemon zest
3 tbsp fresh lemon juice
1⁄3 cup (85 ml) extra-virgin olive oil
Method:
To make Spinach pesto, place all the ingredients except the oil in a food processor – jam that spinach in, there’s a LOT of it! Blitz until the spinach is chopped into little pesto-sized bits. Scrape the sides down as needed. With the motor running on low, pour in the oil in a thin stream. Pesto, done!
Cook the spaghetti in boiling water with the salt as per the packet directions. Just before draining, scoop out 1 cup (250 ml) of the pasta cooking water. Drain the spaghetti, then return to the empty pot.
Add the pesto to the pot with 1⁄2 cup (125 ml) of the pasta cooking water. Toss well, using the extra water as needed to loosen. Serve immediately while hot, or let it cool and serve at room temperature like you would a pasta salad. Either way, garnish with parmesan, baby spinach and pine nuts.
Smart Tip:
Walnuts, almonds and pumpkin seeds are also great with baby spinach. Toast pumpkin seeds as you do pine nuts. For walnuts and almonds, toast in a 180°C (160°C fan-forced) oven for 10 minutes, shaking the pan once or twice, or until they smell nutty. Cool slightly, then roughly chop.
Leftovers: Fridge 2 days. Serve warm or at room temperature.
Dinner by Nagi Maehashi, published by Macmillan Australia, RRP $44.99, photography by Nagi Maehashi
